- Pakistan’s digital growth fuels Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV), affecting women and gender minorities.
- Low awareness of cyber laws and stigma around reporting harassment hinder protection efforts.
- Ineffective law enforcement and exclusion of women in tech exacerbate TFGBV, necessitating comprehensive interventions.
Online popularity has become a key indicator of influence and power in today’s social landscape. Within this context, Pakistan stands out with a substantial social media user base, exceeding 71.70 million as of January 2023, which accounts for 30.1% of the population.
This growing digital presence offers significant opportunities, including economic empowerment and financial independence. However, it also introduces serious challenges, one of the most critical being the surge in Technology-Facilitated Gender-Based Violence (TFGBV).
TFGBV refers to a variety of harmful activities carried out through the internet and mobile technologies, targeting individuals based on their sexual or gender identity or perpetuating harmful gender stereotypes.
These activities include stalking, bullying, sexual harassment, defamation, hate speech, and exploitation. Alarming research shows that 40% of women in Pakistan have experienced cyberbullying, including forms like sexual harassment, blackmail, hate speech, stalking, identity theft, and physical threats.
Despite the widespread nature of these abuses, a striking 72% of women in Pakistan are unaware of existing cyber laws and the procedures for reporting incidents and seeking state protection.
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This lack of awareness, combined with cultural stigma that leads 45% of women to feel embarrassed about reporting harassment and doubting the state’s ability to protect their rights, poses a significant barrier to addressing TFGBV.
TFGBV manifests in various ways, including sextortion, generative AI attacks on women journalists, image-based abuse, cyberstalking, online grooming, hacking, impersonation, malicious deepfakes, disinformation, cyberbullying, and online harassment.
Social dominance theory explains this phenomenon as a dynamic where perpetrators assert control, leaving victims powerless and silenced. Tragically, TFGBV often escalates into physical violence, with online abuse sometimes leading to fatal outcomes. Gender plays a crucial role in determining an individual’s vulnerability to TFGBV, with women and gender minorities disproportionately affected.
There have been tragic cases of TFGBV in Pakistan leading to devastating consequences. For example, in 2017, a female student in Sindh took her own life after enduring online blackmail and harassment. In 2023, the intersex community was targeted by a coordinated online hate campaign, with such incidents making up about 1.6% of reported cases.
The poor implementation of the ‘Prevention of Electronic Crime Act’ (PECA) in Pakistan underscores the need for stronger measures. Federal agencies, often male-dominated, have been criticized for their failure to restrict online extremist content, prosecute hate speech, and address online harassment. This highlights the urgent need for more inclusive and effective approaches to combat TFGBV.
A major factor contributing to the prevalence of TFGBV is the exclusion of women from technology and digital spheres, especially in low- and middle-income countries. In Pakistan, 34% fewer women own mobile devices and 43% fewer use mobile internet than men.
Women, girls, and other vulnerable groups, who make up the majority of TFGBV victims, are often excluded from policy discussions and leadership roles in digital issues. Additionally, there is a significant lack of local data on cyber violence, with monitoring and reporting systems frequently overlooking women’s perspectives.
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The impacts of online violence are severe, often leading to offline harassment, psychological harm, and physical violence. Current responses to gender-based violence and digital regulations are inadequate in addressing these issues. For instance, in 2016, online harassment fueled by patriarchal norms resulted in the honor killing of a social media influencer. In 2015, 45% of the 3,027 cybercrime cases involved electronic violence against Pakistani women.
To tackle TFGBV in Pakistan, comprehensive strategies are needed to empower women, girls, and gender minorities to participate safely and meaningfully in digital spaces. It is crucial to raise awareness of cyber laws, break down the cultural stigma surrounding harassment reporting, and ensure the effective implementation of protective measures. Only through such collective efforts can a digital environment be created where everyone can engage without fear of violence or discrimination.
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